SOUTH WHITEHALL TWP., Pa. — Parkland School Board has officially entered its post-election era, but the directors still have one more two-year seat left to fill.
The five elected Parkland School Board directors — incumbents Carol Facchiano, Jay Rohatgi, Lisa Roth and Marisa Ziegler, as well as newcomer Chris Pirrotta — were sworn in at the board's reorganizational meeting Tuesday.
“It's a great feeling. So we just have to keep that momentum going.”Board President Carol Facchiano
The directors also unanimously elected Carol Facchiano and Marisa Ziegler to continue their positions as president and vice president of the board.
The mood of the meeting was celebratory, as all the elected directors had campaigned together as a slate of candidates on the Democratic ticket, opposing a slate of Republican challengers.
“We always say, ‘Parkland Proud,’ and I'll tell you what, I feel more than I have felt in a little while in this room,” Facchiano said. “It's a great feeling. So we just have to keep that momentum going.”
Pirrotta thanked the voters for electing him to the board and said he was looking forward to being part of the team.
“I'm very excited about our future together and what we're going to do for this district as we face some very interesting challenges coming down the road here,” Pirrotta said.
Seeking applications for vacancy
The board still has a vacant two-year seat left by state Sen. Jarrett Coleman’s resignation.
Rohatgi won the nomination for both a four-year seat and the two-year seat, and chose to serve the four-year term.
District Superintendent Mark Madson said the application for the two-year seat will be posted to the school board tab of the district website starting Wednesday.
Applications are due by 4 p.m. Dec. 15. The board will hold interviews for the candidates at its regularly-scheduled meeting at 7 p.m. Dec. 19.
Foose voted out
Former Parkland School Board Director Patrick Foose did not secure a nomination during the primary election, so he was not on the Nov. 7 ballot. His last meeting was in November.
During his time as director, Foose had repeatedly said he believes the school board should be more transparent.
“I demanded more from this board and the administration, because I believe that we can only improve if we are forward-thinking in our mindset and leadership."Former Parkland School Board Director Patrick Foose at the November meeting
He cast the lone dissenting vote on many issues, such as the appointment of Director Robert “Bob” Bold to temporarily fill the vacancy left by Coleman’s resignation, an agreement with school administrators and a state-required health and safety plan for the district.
At the November meeting, Foose asked the board to be more transparent and accountable to its actions.
“I demanded more from this board and the administration, because I believe that we can only improve if we are forward-thinking in our mindset and leadership,” Foose said.
Despite Foose’s disagreements with the rest of the board, during his last meeting, all the directors thanked him for his service.
